(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication support system which is adapted to connect a telephone unit through a communication control device to a data processing device and adapted to connect a telephone network to the communication control device, when the user transmits a command signal from the telephone unit to the data processing device to obtain a computer-assisted telephone service from the data processing device. Further, the present invention relates to a computer readable medium which stores program code instructions for causing a processor to execute a telephone service processing in response to a command signal sent by the telephone unit.
Personal computers for home use are becoming widespread. Modems have now been shrunk to a chip size, enhancing the popularity in personal computers. The increasing prevalence of the personal computers having a built-in modem makes it easier to access the Internet or other communication networks through telephone lines. In recent years, the telephone lines have been shared by the computers and the telephones.
In recent developments, there is a demand for a useful, advanced communication support system which enables a telephone user to use a telephone unit to remotely control a personal computer (or a data processing device) in order to obtain computer-assisted telephone services. Currently, the computer-assisted telephone services are provided only by locally operating the data processing device, and the telephones and the computers are separately used. Further, it is desired to provide a communication support system which allows the telephone user to easily transmit data to or receive data from other communication media.
(2) Description of the Related Art
A conventional communication support system which provides existing telephone services by executing an application program installed in the system is known. The conventional communication support system provides the telephone services only when the user locally operates an input device (such as a keyboard or a mouse) of a personal computer. That is, when one of the telephone services is obtained from the conventional communication support system, the user must be located in front of the personal computer and locally operate the input device of the personal computer.
FIG. 20 shows such a conventional communication support system.
As shown in FIG. 20, in the conventional communication support system, an existing telephone unit 301, a data processing device 304, and a line unit 303 are provided. The telephone unit 301 is connected through the line unit 303 to the data processing device 304, and the telephone unit 301 is connected through the line unit 303 to a telephone network 302. The data processing device 304 is, for example, a personal computer. The telephone network 302 is, for example, a public switched telephone network.
In the above-described conventional system, a voice input/output unit 305, a dialing unit 306 and a signal detection unit 307 are connected to the line unit 303. Further, a personal-computer (PC) interface unit 308 is provided between the data processing device 304 and the units 305, 306 and 307.
The voice input/output unit 305 supplies a voice signal sent from one of the telephone unit 301 and the telephone network 302, to the data processing device 304 via the PC interface unit 308, and supplies a voice signal derived from digital data stored in the data processing device 304, to one of the telephone unit 301 and the telephone network 302. The dialing unit 306 provides an existing dialing function to transmit a call to a destination terminal over the telephone network 302 according to a telephone number input by an input device (such as a keyboard or a mouse) of the data processing device 304. The signal detection unit 307 detects various signals sent from a telephone line, such as a busy tone signal, a ring tone signal, a ring back tone signal, an on-hook signal, and an off-hook signal.
In the above-described conventional system, telephone services are provided by an existing telephone service application program executed by the data processing device (or the personal computer). Such telephone services include, for example, voice recording and playback, file transmission, and telephone number entry.
In the above-described conventional system, when a user of the data processing device 304 sends a call to a destination terminal in the telephone network 302, the application program installed in the data processing device 304 is executed. The user inputs the telephone number of the destination terminal and presses a dialing button on a monitor of the data processing device 304 by manipulating the keyboard or the mouse of the data processing device 304. In this case, the user goes to the location of the telephone unit 301 apart from the data processing device 304, and lifts a handset of the telephone unit 301. Then the off-hook signal from the telephone unit 301 is detected by the signal detection unit 307. The telephone unit 301 is connected to the telephone network 302 (or the destination terminal) by the line unit 303, and this enables the user of the telephone unit 1 to communicate with a person of the destination terminal over the telephone network 302 by voice.
However, in the above-described conventional system, it is impossible for the telephone user to transmit a call to the destination terminal in the telephone network 302 by using only the telephone unit 301 to remotely control the application program in the data processing device 304.
In the above-described conventional system, when a voice recording function, as one of the telephone services, is obtained by executing the application program in the data processing device 304, the user of the data processing device 304 presses a recording start button on the monitor by operating the input device of the data processing device 304. In this case, the data processing device 304 acquires voice data from the telephone unit 301 or the telephone network 302 through the voice input/output unit 305. The application program in the data processing device 304 converts the voice data into digital data in a computer-readable format and stores the digital data in a memory of the data processing device 304. The application program continues to provide the voice recording until a recording end button on the monitor is pressed by the user.
However, in the above-described conventional system, it is impossible for the telephone user to start the voice recording processing by using the telephone unit 301 to remotely control the application program in the data processing device 304.
In the above-described conventional system, when a playback function, as one of the telephone services, is obtained by executing the application program in the data processing device 304, the user of the data processing device 304 presses a playback start button on the monitor by operating the input device. In this case, the application program in the data processing device 304 converts the digital data stored in the memory of the device 304 into voice data, and supplies the voice data to the voice input/output unit 305. A voice signal is derived from the voice data by the voice input/output unit 305, and the voice signal is supplied to the telephone unit 301 or the telephone network 302 via the line unit 303. The application program continues to provide the playback function until a playback end button on the monitor is pressed by the user or the end of the data stored in the memory is detected.
However, in the above-described conventional system, it is impossible for the telephone user to start the playback processing by using the telephone unit 301 to remotely control the application program in the data processing device 304.
Further, in the above-described conventional system, when a telephone number entry function, as one of the telephone services, is obtained by executing the application program in the data processing device 304, the user of the data processing device 304 inputs a telephone number by operating the input device. In this case, the application program in the data processing device 304 stores the input telephone number in the memory. The application program is executed to carry out the telephone number entry processing when the user operates the keyboard or the mouse in connection with the monitor in an interactive manner.
However, in the above-described conventional system, it is impossible for the telephone user to start the telephone number entry processing by using the telephone unit 301 to remotely control the application program in the data processing device 304. It is impossible for the conventional system to detect a telephone number input by the telephone unit 301.